The Lost Symbol Chapter 127-128

CHAPTER 127The breeze felt dust-covered step to the fore stead CIA headquarters in Langley. no.a Kaye was thrill as she followed sys-sec crick Parrish across the agencys dreamy central courtyard.W present is turn taking me?The crisis of the masonic video had been averted, thank God, but Nola placid felt uneasy. The redacted file on the CIA coachs class remained a mystery, and it was nagging at her. She and Sato would query in the morning, and Nola pauperismed tot on the wholey the occurrences. Finall(a)y, she had called flex Parrish and demanded his help. straightaway, as she followed Rick to more or less unexplored berth come in case, Nola could not push the comical phrases from her reminiscenceSecret location pipe where the . . . somewhere in Washington, D.C., the coordinates . . . reveal an antiquated portal that led . . . warning the pyramid holds dangerous . . . decrypt this engraved symbolizationon to uncover . . .You and I agree, Parrish said as t hey walked, that the cyber-terrorist who spidered those keywords was in spades searching for data nigh the masonic pyramid.Obviously, Nola thought.It turns out, though, the hacker stumbled onto a vista of the Masonic mystery I dont figure he expected.What do you mean?Nola, you greet how the CIA conductor sponsors an internal discussion assemblage for Agency employees to sh be their conceptions almost all kinds of things?Of course. The forums cand Agency personnel a fail-safe place to chat online about unhomogeneous topics and gave the director a kind of realistic gate carriage to his staff.The directors forums are hosted on his semiprivate partition, and yet in order to provide access to employees of all clearance levels, theyre turn up outside the directors classified fire env campaign.What are you acquiring at? she demanded as they rounded a landmark near the Agency cafeteria.In a word . . . Parrish pointed into the vileness. That.Nola glanced up. Across the shop ping mall in front of them was a monumental admixture inscribe glimmering in the moonlight.In an agency that boasted over cardinal hundred pieces of original art, this mould call Kryptoswas by far the about famous. Greek for hidden, Kryptos was the work of American artist crowd Sanborn and had become something of a legend here at the CIA.The work consisted of a huge S-shaped panel of copper, set on its asperity the like a curling surface wall. Engraved into the expansive surface of the wall were well two thousand permitter . . . organized into a baffling label. As if this were not enigmatic enough, positi iodined carefully in the area near the encrypted S-wall were numerous early(a) sculptural elementsgranite slabs at odd angles, a prod rose, a magnetic lode colliery, and dismantle a subject matter in international Morse legislation code that indite lucid memory and shadow forces. Most fans guessd that these pieces were clues that would reveal how to line th e sculpture.Kryptos was art . . . but it was also an enigma.Attempting to follow its encoded mystical had become an obsession for cryptologists some(prenominal) inside and outside the CIA. Finally, a fewer years bet on, a portion of the code had been broken, and it became national news. Although much of Kryptoss code remained dissonant to this day, the sections that had been rewrite were so bizarre that they make the sculpture only more occult. It referenced secret underground locations, portals that led into antediluvian patriarch tombs, longitudes and latissimus dorsiitudes . . .Nola could still recall bits and pieces of the deciphered sections The information was ga at that placed and transmitted underground to an noncitizen location . . . It was totally invisible . . . hows that potential . . . they used the earths magnetic field . . .Nola had neer paid much attention to the sculpture or cared if it was ever fully deciphered. At the nictation, however, she wanted answers. Why are you viewing me Kryptos?Parrish gave her a conspiratorial smile and dramatically extracted a folded sheet of paper from his pocket. Voila, the mysterious redacted document you were so concerned about. I accessed the comp permite text.Nola jumped. You snooped the directors classified partition?No. Thats what I was getting at earlier. encounter a look. He handed her the file.Nola seized the foliate and unfolded it. When she saw the standard Agency headers at the top of the page, she cocked her head in surprise.This document was not classified. Not plain close.EMPLOYEE intervention BOARD KRYPTOS COMPRESSED STORAGE trace 2456282.5Nola found herself looking at a series of postings that had been compressed into a atomic number 53 page for more efficient storage.Your keyword document, Rick said, is some cipher-punks rambling about Kryptos.Nola scanned knock discomfit the document until she spotted a condemnation controling a familiar set of keywords.Jim, the scul pture says it was transmitted to a secret location UNDERGROUND where the info was hidden.This text is from the directors online Kryptos forum, Rick explained. The forums been going for years. thither are literally thousands of postings. Im not surprised one of them happened to wait all the keywords.Nola kept scanning down until she spotted some other posting containing keywords. hitherto though Mark said the codes lat/long headings point somewhere in WASHINGTON, D.C., the coordinates he used were off by one degreeKryptos basically points post to itself.Parrish walked over to the statue and ran his palm across the kabbalistic sea of letter. A lot of this code has yet to be deciphered, and there are plenty of people who look at the inwardness world power actually relate to superannuated Masonic secrets.Nola direct recalled murmurs of a Masonic/Kryptos link, but she tended to ignore the lunatic fringe. whereforece over again, looking around at the diverse pieces of the sculp ture arranged around the plaza, she recognize that it was a code in piecesa symbolonjust like the Masonic Pyramid.Odd.For a moment, Nola could almost exit Kryptos as a modern Masonic Pyramida code in many pieces, make of diametric materials, each playing a role. Do you compute theres any way Kryptos and the Masonic Pyramid might be hiding the same secret?Who k outrights? Parrish uncertain Kryptos a frustrated look. I surmise well ever know the whole message. That is, unless individual can convince the director to unlock his safe and sneak a look at the dissolver.Nola nodded. It was all coming concealment to her now. When Kryptos was installed, it arrived with a sealed envelope containing a complete decryption of the sculptures codes. The sealed solution was entrusted to then CIA director William Webster, who locked it in his postal service safe. The document was allegedly still there, having been transferred from director to director over the years. Strangely, Nolas thou ghts of William Webster sparked her memory, bringing back yet other portion of Kryptoss deciphered textITS BURIED OUT in that location SOMEWHERE.WHO KNOWS THE EXACT LOCATION?ONLY WW.Although goose egg knew exactly what was bury out there, most people believed the WW was a reference to William Webster. Nola had perceive whispers once that it referred in fact to a man named William Whistona Royal connection theologianalthough she had neer bothered to flip over it much thought.Rick was talking again. Ive got to admit, Im not really into artists, but I think this guy Sanborns a serious genius. I was just looking online at his Cyrillic Projector project? It shines monstrosity Russian letters from a KGB document on consciousness control. Freaky.Nola was no longer listening. She was examining the paper, where she had found the ternary key phrase in another posting.Right, that whole section is verbatim from some famous archaeologists diary, telling about the moment he dug down an d uncovered an ANCIENT PORTAL that led to the tomb of Tutankhamen.The archaeologist who was quoted on Kryptos, Nola knew, was in fact famed Egyptologist Howard Carter. The next posting referenced him by name.I just plane the rest of Carters field notes online, and it reasoneds like he found a clay stamp pad warning the PYRAMID holds dangerous consequences for anyone who disturbs the love-in-idleness of the pharaoh. A curse Should we be crazy? Nola scowled. Rick, for Gods sake, this idiots pyramid reference isnt even right. Tutankhamen wasnt hide in a pyramid. He was hide in the Valley of the Kings. Dont cryptologists watch the breakthrough and through Channel?Parrish shrugged. Techies.Nola now saw the last-place key phrase.Guys, you know Im not a conspiracy theorist, but Jim and Dave had better decipher this ENGRAVED SYMBOLON to unveil its final secret out front the world ends in 2012 . . . Ciao.Anyhow, Parrish said, I figured youd want to know about the Kryptos forum bef ore you accused the CIA director of harboring classified documentation about an antiquated Masonic legend. Somehow, I doubt a man as powerful as the CIA director has condemnation for that sort of thing.Nola visualized the Masonic video and its images of all the influential men participating in an antiquated rite. If Rick had any idea . . .In the end, she knew, whatever Kryptos ultimately revealed, the message definitely had mystical undertones. She gazed up at the blaze piece of arta three-d code standing silently at the heart of one of the nations premier tidings agenciesand she wondered if it would ever give up its final secret.As she and Rick headed back inside, Nola had to smile.Its buried out there somewhere.CHAPTER 128This is crazy.Blindfolded, Robert Langdon could see postcode as the Escalade sped southward along the deserted streets. On the seat beside him, ray of light Solomon remained silent.Where is he taking me?Langdons curiosity was a mix of intrigue and appreh ension, his imagination in overdrive as it act desperately to put the pieces together. motherfucker had not wavered from his claim. The muddled Word? Buried at the supply of a stairway thats covered by a massive, engraved quarry? It all seemed impossible. The sways alleged engraving was still lodged in Langdons memory . . . and yet the seven symbols, as far as he could tell, do no sense together at all. The Stonemasons Square the symbol of honesty and universe true.The letters Au the scientific abbreviation for the element gold.The Sigma the Greek letter S, the numeral symbol for the sum of all parts.The Pyramid the Egyptian symbol of man stretch heavenward.The Delta the Greek letter D, the mathematical symbol for sort.Mercury as depicted by its most superannuated alchemical symbol.The Ouroboros the symbol of wholeness and at-one-ment.Solomon still insisted these seven symbols were a message. But if this was true, then it was a message Langdon had no idea how to read.T he Escalade slowed perfectly and turned sharply right, onto a different surface, as if into a driveway or access road. Langdon perked up, listening intently for clues as to their whereabouts. Theyd been driving for less than ten minutes, and although Langdon had tried to follow in his mind, he had bewildered his bearings quickly. For all he knew, they were now pulling back into the House of the Temple.The Escalade came to a stop, and Langdon heard the window roll down. operator Simkins, CIA, their driver announced. I believe youre expecting us.Yes, sir, a sharp multitude voice replied. conductor Sato phoned ahead. One moment while I move the protective covering lay off.Langdon listened with rising confusion, now sensing they were entering a military base. As the car began moving again, along an unusually smooth stretch of pavement, he turned his head blindly toward Solomon. Where are we, quill? he demanded.Do not remove your blindfold. rotating shafts voice was stern.The veh icle persist in a short distance and again slowed to a stop. Simkins killed the engine. More voices. Military. Someone asked for Simkinss identification. The element got out and spoke to the men in hushed tones.Langdons thresholdstep was all at once being haveed, and powerful turn over assisted him out of the car. The air felt cold. It was windy.Solomon was beside him. Robert, just let Agent Simkins lead you inside.Langdon heard surface keys in a lock . . . and then the creak of a heavy iron door swinging open. It sounded like an ancient bulkhead. Where the hell are they taking me?Simkinss hands head Langdon in the direction of the alloy door. They stepped over a threshold. Straight ahead, Professor.It was suddenly quiet. Dead. Deserted. The air inside smelled sterile and processed.Simkins and Solomon flanked Langdon now, channelize him blindly down a evocative corridor. The floor felt like stone at a lower place his loafers.Behind them, the metal door slammed loudly, a nd Langdon jumped. The locks turned. He was sweating now downstairs his blindfold. He wanted only to perpetrate it off.They stopped walking now.Simkins let go of Langdons develop, and there was a series of electronic beeps followed by an unexpected rumble in front of them, which Langdon imagined had to be a protective cover door sliding open automatically.Mr. Solomon, you and Mr. Langdon continue on alone. Ill wait for you here, Simkins said. Take my torch. give thanks you, Solomon said. We wont be long.Flashlight? Langdons heart was throbbing wildly now. beam took Langdons arm in his own and inched forward. Walk with me, Robert.They moved easily together across another threshold, and the security door rumbled shut behind them.Peter stopped short. Is something wrong?Langdon was suddenly tincture queasy and off balance. I think I just contain to prefer off this blindfold.Not yet, were almost there. intimately where? Langdon felt a growing weightiness in the pit of his hurt .I told youIm taking you to see the staircase that descends to the Lost Word.Peter, this isnt shadyIts not meant to be. Its meant to open your mind, Robert. Its meant to remind you that there are mysteries in this world that even you cave in yet to lay eyeball upon. And before I manage one more step with you, I want you to do something for me. I want you to believe . . . just for an instant . . . believe in the legend. Believe that you are about to helpmate down a spin staircase that plunges hundreds of feet to one of humankinds greatest lost treasures.Langdon felt dizzy. As much as he wanted to believe his dear friend, he could not. Is it much farther? His velvet play false was drenched in sweat.No. scarcely a few more steps, actually. by means of one last door. Ill open it now.Solomon let go of him for a moment, and as he did so, Langdon swayed, feeling light-headed. Unsteady, he reached out for stability, and Peter was quickly back at his side. The sound of a heavy automa tic door rumbled in front of them. Peter took Langdons arm and they moved forward again.This way.They inched across another threshold, and the door slid closed behind them.Silence. Cold.Langdon at present sensed that this place, whatever it was, had nothing to do with the world on the other side of the security doors. The air was dank and chilly, like a tomb. The acoustics felt dull and cramped. He felt an irrational bout of claustrophobia remission in.A few more steps. Solomon guided him blindly around a corner and positioned him precisely. Finally, he said, Take off your blindfold.Langdon seized the velvet hoodwink and tore it from his face. He looked all around to find out where he was, but he was still blind. He rubbed his eyes. Nothing. Peter, its pitch-blackYes, I know. Reach in front of you. Theres a railing. Grasp it.Langdon groped in the darkness and found an iron railing.Now watch. He could hear Peter ham-fisted with something, and suddenly a blazing woolly mullein sp ear pierced the darkness. It was pointed at the floor, and before Langdon could take in his surroundings, Solomon directed the flannel mullein out over the railing and pointed the beam straight down.Langdon was suddenly staring into a rearless shaft . . . an endless winding staircase that plunged deep into the earth. My God His knees nearly buckled, and he gripped the railing for support. The staircase was a traditional square spiral, and he could see at least thirty landings move into the earth before the flashlight fade to nothing. I cant even see the bottomPeter . . . he stammered. What is this place Ill take you to the bottom of the staircase in a moment, but before I do, you need to see something else.Too overwhelmed to protest, Langdon let Peter guide him away from the stairwell and across the contradictory little sleeping room. Peter kept the flashlight trained on the worn stone floor beneath their feet, and Langdon could get no real sense of the space around them . . . except that it was small.A tiny stone chamber.They arrived quickly at the rooms opposite wall, in which was embedded a rectangle of glass. Langdon thought it might be a window into a room beyond, and yet from where he stood, he saw only darkness on the other side.Go ahead, Peter said. pick up a look.Whats in there? Langdon flashed for an instant on the Chamber of Reflection beneath the Capitol Building, and how he had believed, for a moment, that it might contain a portal to some giant underground cavern.Just look, Robert. Solomon inched him forward. And brace yourself, because the locoweed will stupefaction you.Having no idea what to expect, Langdon moved toward the glass. As he neared the portal, Peter turned out the flashlight, plunging the tiny chamber into total darkness.As his eyes adjusted, Langdon groped in front of him, his hands purpose the wall, finding the glass, his face moving closer to the transparent portal.Still only darkness beyond.He leaned closer . . . pressi ng his face to the glass. accordingly he saw it.The wave of shock and disorientation that tore through Langdons remains reached down inside and spun his internal compass upside down. He nearly shed backward as his mind laboured to accept the utterly unanticipated flowerpot that was before him. In his wildest dreams, Robert Langdon would never have guessed what lay on the other side of this glass.The vision was a glorious sight.There in the darkness, a brilliant pureness light shone like a light jewel.Langdon now understood it allthe barricade on the access road . . . the guards at the main entrance . . . the heavy metal door outside . . . the automatic doors that rumbled open and closed . . . the heaviness in his stomach . . . the lightness in his head . . . and now this tiny stone chamber. Robert, Peter utter behind him, sometimes a change of perspective is all it takes to see the light.Speechless, Langdon stared out through the window. His gaze traveled into the darkness of the night, traversing more than a mile of drop off space, dropping lower . . . lower . . . through the darkness . . . until it came to rest atop the bright illuminated, stark white dome of the U.S. Capitol Building.Langdon had never seen the Capitol from this perspectivehovering 555 feet in the air atop Americas great Egyptian obelisk. Tonight, for the first time in his life, he had ridden the elevator up to the tiny viewing chamber . . . at the pinnacle of the Washington Monument.